Marsa LNG will be the first marine LNG bunkering hub in the Middle East, supporting the shipping industry’s energy transition
Under the patronage of His Excellency Eng. Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy & Minerals of the Sultanate of Oman, Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, and Ahmed Al Azkawi, OQ Exploration and Production CEO, celebrated the ground-breaking of the Marsa LNG plant, in the port of Sohar, northern Oman, one year after the Final Investment Decision.
The 1 million ton per year (Mt/y) liquefaction plant is being built by Marsa LNG LLC, a joint company between TotalEnergies (80%) and OQEP (20%). The LNG production, which is expected to start in the first quarter of 2028, is primarily intended to serve the marine fuel market (LNG bunkering) in the Gulf.
One of the lowest carbon intensity LNG plants in the world
The Marsa LNG plant is fully electrified and combined with a 300 megawatt-peak (MWp) photovoltaic solar farm that will supply the equivalent of the plant’s annual energy needs. Marsa LNG will therefore be one of the lowest carbon intensity LNG plants in the world, with less than 3 kg CO2e/boe of scope 1 and 2 emissions. For reference, this is 90% lower than the average carbon intensity of LNG plants in the world, which stands around 35 kg CO2e/boe [Source IEA: The Oil and Gas Industry in Net Zero Transitions report from Nov 2023.1].
The first marine LNG bunkering hub in the Middle East
Ideally located at the entrance to the Gulf, the Marsa LNG site has been selected to establish the first LNG bunkering hub in the Middle East.
A charter contract for a new LNG bunkering vessel has been signed by Marsa LNG LLC. This vessel, named Monte Shams in reference to the Jabal Shams or the “Mountain of the Sun” in north-eastern Oman, is under construction and will be stationed in Sohar from 2028, where it will supply LNG to a wide range of vessels (container ships, tankers, large cruise ships).
In the maritime industry, LNG is an immediately available transition fuel allowing a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 20% compared to fuel oil. Ships using LNG in Sohar, will further reduce their GHG emissions thanks to the low carbon intensity of the LNG production in Marsa LNG, and local bunkering without the need to transport LNG to a distant bunkering port.
About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas, biogas and low-carbon hydrogen, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to providing as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations.